OKC Responds After First Loss, Blows out Houston at Home

The Thunder showed the best response they could against Houston, showing no doubt in a blowout victory.

Nov 8, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) and guard Ajay Mitchell (25) high five after a play against the Houston Rockets during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Looking to bounce back after its first loss of the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder walked away with a 126-107 victory over the Houston Rockets to improve to 8-1 on the season.

Houston guard Jalen Green kept the Rockets close to start the game, scoring 10 first-quarter points. His opening period showing allowed Houston to hang around, keeping the game tied at 31 apiece to begin.

After that point, the Thunder would run away with the game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren combined for 39 first-half points and gave the squad a 24-point lead heading into the half.

Neither player did anything special to secure their points. Gilgeous-Alexander did what he did best, getting to the free-throw line effortlessly and going 6-for-7 with his chances. He scored 20 in the opening half, all without attempting a single three-point shot.

Holmgren did the exact opposite, going a perfect 3-for-3 from the perimeter in the first half, missing only two shots from the field in total. Thanks to the guard and big man duo and all five bench players playing efficiently, OKC looked surely ahead going into the second half.

OKC didn't slow down to begin the second half, defending how they normally do and scoring in transition.

The lead only got better for the Thunder as the third quarter progressed, with Gilgeous-Alexander adding six more points to his total with 4:51 remaining in the period and the bench continuing to stay involved.

Cherry-picking a poor performance on the night from anyone on the Thunder roster would be impossible. Everyone, regardless of whether they started or not, made an impact on the floor for OKC. Off the bench, rookie guard Ajay Mitchell boasted an impressive plus-18 on the box score, scoring 12 points and grabbing seven assists on the night.

Also in search of a solid offensive night, defensive guard Alex Caruso posted a season-high in points, finishing with 10 points. This was a confidence-building performance for Caruso, who also did what he normally does on defense.

The shot-blocking ability of Holmgren was on full display tonight, leading the team with three blocks on a night where, as a whole, OKC finished with eight.

By the end of the third quarter, OKC led 98-76, leaving the Rockets searching for a miracle in order to get back into the game. A blowout of this magnitude would allow the Thunder to empty its bench, which was the case. The starters began on the court in the fourth quarter, but as the lead ballooned for OKC, they made their way off.

Holmgren, in his final minutes in the fourth quarter, extended his scoring total by 10 points. He finished with 29 on the night, as did Gilgeous-Alexander. Sharpshooter Isaiah Joe led the Thunder off the bench, finishing with 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting.

Closing out the game was not a challenge for the Thunder, bringing the lead to 116-93 with 5:36 remaining. By the game's end, OKC led 126-107 and got everybody on the bench into the game, including forward Malevy Leons and, who played limited minutes, Ousmane Dieng.

OKC takes on the Golden State Warriors at home for its next matchup at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, Nov. 10.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.